cum faster see gang bang btw lorry pickup and cyclist

[AhMeng]

This fucker die die must still social media. Lol

 

[sweetiepie]

This is mandatory and must all cyclists be made to understand this via a test of some sort to certify that they have understood it ?

No point outlining these rules of the highway if no body bothers to read them.

KNN since cyclists are not supposed to take up a lane or obstruct traffics they should be made to cycle against the traffic by the side KNN in this way they can see vehicles coming towards them and will not be able to block them KNN but they will start to wonder KNN if always must cycle against traffic can reach destination anot KNN

 

[Leongsam]

Why cycling makes us happy: the positive psychology of being on the bike

by Matt de Neef
February 12, 2015
Like CyclingTips? Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive content, deals & events.

Cycling is a beautiful sport. We hear it all the time. We experience it when we ride and race. For the ever-increasing number of us that have caught the cycling bug, we know how happy cycling makes us.

But what is it that makes us love cycling so much? Why are we so compulsively drawn to it? Why does cycling make us happy in a way that perhaps tennis, or swimming, or footy can’t?

The science of positive psychology investigates what makes life most worth living. Cycling seems to possess an array of attributes that boost happiness in ways that few other sports can claim. While many other sports may possess a small handful of these attributes, it seems that cycling may be one of very few that has them all.

Here are my 15 reasons cycling makes us happy based on the science of positive psychology:

PHYSICAL HEALTH
Aerobic exercise is proven to be one of the greatest predictors of our physical health. Our body simply works better when we are physically fit. This is a widely accepted and understood principle, so I won’t go into any more detail on this one in this article.

MENTAL HEALTH
Physically fit and healthy people are generally happier than their unfit, unhealthy counterparts. Depression, anxiety, and stress are generally lower in physically healthy people. Cycling boosts mental health.

CYCLING IS SOCIAL
As a surfer, I would sit in the ocean and selfishly savour the serenity and the solo surf. Now and then I would glimpse another surfer walking along the beach towards me and I would curse them, hoping they would select another spot. Cycling is different. While solo rides are great, our best times on the bike often involve group rides with friends. Plus cycling is great for networking in ways that few other sports are.

COMPETENCE
Cycling is something that just about anyone can do. It is immensely accessible.

SAVOURING
Savouring is what we do when we mentally enlarge or magnify a pleasant experience. Savouring is a powerful wellbeing booster. Cycling is a sport that gives us enormous opportunity to “breathe it in”.

Whether it is the quiet appreciation of a panoramic view (think Gruber images, or your local hilltop or headland), the exhilaration of a fast descent, or the post-ride coffee and chit-chat as we relive the best bits of the bunch ride with mates, there is plenty to savour during (and after) most rides.

GRATITUDE
Gratitude and savouring often go hand in hand. It’s hard to savour without feeling grateful. Gratitude also makes us happy. Sometimes the things we feel on a bike can be sublime.

Cycling offers those precious quiet moments that fill us with awe and gratitude. While it might be on top of a world-famous peak, it can happen just as easily on a quiet suburban street as the sun rises, the day begins, and we feel that sense of awe, appreciation, or gratitude. It’s as though everything is right with the world – even when it’s not. And for that moment while we are on two wheels, we feel happy.

GOALS
I’ve written previously on CyclingTips about the different kinds of goals we can pursue when we ride. It seems that while we exercise and seek improvement and mastery, we feel better about life. Our wellbeing increases. The pursuit of our goals makes us happy.

SENSATION-SEEKING AND RISK
One of the exciting attributes of many sports is the sensation-seeking opportunities they afford. Research shows that physical activity is viewed as a way to achieve our need to be excited, lively and adventurous. Risk and opportunities for a ‘thrill’ can be part of every ride – and the buzz of a fast descent, the rush of a bunch sprint, or the challenge of an off-road track or rock-garden can give us a grin that lasts for days.

ACCOMPLISHMENT
Some scholars argue that accomplishment is one of the key contributors to our sense of wellbeing. Because of its accessibility, cycling is a never-ending source of accomplishment opportunities. Whether it’s a strava KOM or PR, a long-distance ride, an Everestexperience, or reaching a personal goal, our cycling accomplishments are rewarding.

FLOW/ENGAGEMENT
Some people have described flow as the secret to happiness. It occurs when we are so engaged in something that we lose all track of time. We don’t notice anything at all because we are so immersed in a task that is at once optimally challenging and absorbing. Some of our most immersive, flow experiences occur on the bike.

OPTIMISM
People who are optimistic believe good things are coming, and that the future looks bright. Optimists are also much happier than those who are fearful about the future. Because cyclists are goal-oriented, grateful, and engaged in their sport, we are always looking forward to our next ride (often to the detriment of other priorities!), and our optimism feels good.

STRENGTHS
We feel good when we use our strengths. Strengths are things that we do well, feel authentic to us, and energise us. If we love cycling, we can usually identify our cycling strengths, and not much feels better than tearing our mates’ legs off while we take advantage of our strengths!

RESTORATION
True recreation is restorative. It helps us to re-create ourselves. While cycling can leave us exhausted, it is also restorative.We sleep better (which is crucial for wellbeing), and feel physically and mentally better for having had our ride.

MEANING
One of the most important things cycling can facilitate is meaningful contribution to something larger than you or I. Events including Round the Bay, Smiling for Smiddy, the Tour de Cure, the Multiple Sclerosis Sydney to Gong, even the Pollie Pedal, and dozens of other rides provide opportunities to give back by doing something we love.

At an institutional level, we see the meaning and purpose riders feel when they ride for Team Rwanda or MTN-Qhubeka or when they ride for diabetes awareness.
Having a larger purpose in our lives provides meaning, and ultimately, greater happiness.

POSITIVE EMOTIONS
If we have a healthy orientation to cycling we feel a broad range of positive emotions when we ride. Joy, contentment, absorbed, satisfied, accomplished, alert, calm and peaceful, confident, powerful, excited – happy. It just feels great to be on the bike!

***

Ultimately, for all of these reasons and more, we feel good when we ride. This is the positive psychology of cycling. It is addictive, it feels great, and when we get the balance right it builds our social, physiological, psychological and even our cognitive resources.

 

[whoami]

Why cycling makes us happy: the positive psychology of being on the bike

by Matt de Neef
February 12, 2015
Like CyclingTips? Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive content, deals & events.

Cycling is a beautiful sport. We hear it all the time. We experience it when we ride and race. For the ever-increasing number of us that have caught the cycling bug, we know how happy cycling makes us.

But what is it that makes us love cycling so much? Why are we so compulsively drawn to it? Why does cycling make us happy in a way that perhaps tennis, or swimming, or footy can’t?

The science of positive psychology investigates what makes life most worth living. Cycling seems to possess an array of attributes that boost happiness in ways that few other sports can claim. While many other sports may possess a small handful of these attributes, it seems that cycling may be one of very few that has them all.

Here are my 15 reasons cycling makes us happy based on the science of positive psychology:

PHYSICAL HEALTH
Aerobic exercise is proven to be one of the greatest predictors of our physical health. Our body simply works better when we are physically fit. This is a widely accepted and understood principle, so I won’t go into any more detail on this one in this article.

MENTAL HEALTH
Physically fit and healthy people are generally happier than their unfit, unhealthy counterparts. Depression, anxiety, and stress are generally lower in physically healthy people. Cycling boosts mental health.

CYCLING IS SOCIAL
As a surfer, I would sit in the ocean and selfishly savour the serenity and the solo surf. Now and then I would glimpse another surfer walking along the beach towards me and I would curse them, hoping they would select another spot. Cycling is different. While solo rides are great, our best times on the bike often involve group rides with friends. Plus cycling is great for networking in ways that few other sports are.

COMPETENCE
Cycling is something that just about anyone can do. It is immensely accessible.

SAVOURING
Savouring is what we do when we mentally enlarge or magnify a pleasant experience. Savouring is a powerful wellbeing booster. Cycling is a sport that gives us enormous opportunity to “breathe it in”.

Whether it is the quiet appreciation of a panoramic view (think Gruber images, or your local hilltop or headland), the exhilaration of a fast descent, or the post-ride coffee and chit-chat as we relive the best bits of the bunch ride with mates, there is plenty to savour during (and after) most rides.

GRATITUDE
Gratitude and savouring often go hand in hand. It’s hard to savour without feeling grateful. Gratitude also makes us happy. Sometimes the things we feel on a bike can be sublime.

Cycling offers those precious quiet moments that fill us with awe and gratitude. While it might be on top of a world-famous peak, it can happen just as easily on a quiet suburban street as the sun rises, the day begins, and we feel that sense of awe, appreciation, or gratitude. It’s as though everything is right with the world – even when it’s not. And for that moment while we are on two wheels, we feel happy.

GOALS
I’ve written previously on CyclingTips about the different kinds of goals we can pursue when we ride. It seems that while we exercise and seek improvement and mastery, we feel better about life. Our wellbeing increases. The pursuit of our goals makes us happy.

SENSATION-SEEKING AND RISK
One of the exciting attributes of many sports is the sensation-seeking opportunities they afford. Research shows that physical activity is viewed as a way to achieve our need to be excited, lively and adventurous. Risk and opportunities for a ‘thrill’ can be part of every ride – and the buzz of a fast descent, the rush of a bunch sprint, or the challenge of an off-road track or rock-garden can give us a grin that lasts for days.

ACCOMPLISHMENT
Some scholars argue that accomplishment is one of the key contributors to our sense of wellbeing. Because of its accessibility, cycling is a never-ending source of accomplishment opportunities. Whether it’s a strava KOM or PR, a long-distance ride, an Everestexperience, or reaching a personal goal, our cycling accomplishments are rewarding.

FLOW/ENGAGEMENT
Some people have described flow as the secret to happiness. It occurs when we are so engaged in something that we lose all track of time. We don’t notice anything at all because we are so immersed in a task that is at once optimally challenging and absorbing. Some of our most immersive, flow experiences occur on the bike.

OPTIMISM
People who are optimistic believe good things are coming, and that the future looks bright. Optimists are also much happier than those who are fearful about the future. Because cyclists are goal-oriented, grateful, and engaged in their sport, we are always looking forward to our next ride (often to the detriment of other priorities!), and our optimism feels good.

STRENGTHS
We feel good when we use our strengths. Strengths are things that we do well, feel authentic to us, and energise us. If we love cycling, we can usually identify our cycling strengths, and not much feels better than tearing our mates’ legs off while we take advantage of our strengths!

RESTORATION
True recreation is restorative. It helps us to re-create ourselves. While cycling can leave us exhausted, it is also restorative.We sleep better (which is crucial for wellbeing), and feel physically and mentally better for having had our ride.

MEANING
One of the most important things cycling can facilitate is meaningful contribution to something larger than you or I. Events including Round the Bay, Smiling for Smiddy, the Tour de Cure, the Multiple Sclerosis Sydney to Gong, even the Pollie Pedal, and dozens of other rides provide opportunities to give back by doing something we love.

At an institutional level, we see the meaning and purpose riders feel when they ride for Team Rwanda or MTN-Qhubeka or when they ride for diabetes awareness.
Having a larger purpose in our lives provides meaning, and ultimately, greater happiness.

POSITIVE EMOTIONS
If we have a healthy orientation to cycling we feel a broad range of positive emotions when we ride. Joy, contentment, absorbed, satisfied, accomplished, alert, calm and peaceful, confident, powerful, excited – happy. It just feels great to be on the bike!

***

Ultimately, for all of these reasons and more, we feel good when we ride. This is the positive psychology of cycling. It is addictive, it feels great, and when we get the balance right it builds our social, physiological, psychological and even our cognitive resources.

Happy? Definitely not in sinkieland. Cramp and dangerous with heavy vehicles at all sides.

U want happiness then cycle at countryside...which sinkieland has none.

 

[glockman]

This is mandatory and must all cyclists be made to understand this via a test of some sort to certify that they have understood it ?

No point outlining these rules of the highway if no body bothers to read them.

The issue is why are cyclists allowed to ride two abreast on roads with two or more lanes, when they are also required to ride single-file in an orderly manner for the safety of others. Allowing them to ride two abreast means they will obstruct faster traffic, and force others to veer to another lane. Contradiction and leaves a lot to be interpreted differently.

 

[Leongsam]

 

[Leongsam]

 

[eatshitndie]

The issue is why are cyclists allowed to ride two abreast on roads with two or more lanes, when they are also required to ride single-file in an orderly manner for the safety of others. Allowing them to ride two abreast means they will obstruct faster traffic, and force others to veer to another lane. Contradiction and leaves a lot to be interpreted differently.

it’s safer for cyclists to “chope” and “chiam” lane space two abreast as it leaves little to no doubt and chance for motorist to try sharing lane with cyclists by going side by side and getting too close for comfort. in a multi-lane roadway motorist can change lane. in single lane roadways bo pian everyone has to share one lane and cyclists have to ride single file. but that’s where accidents mostly happen as oncoming traffic cause motorist to hug or toe the divider line first to avoid head-on crash as priority and relegate cyclists to secondary precaution. if there’s a dedicated bike lane, that issue is minimized but how many towns and cities can afford to dedicate entire lanes for cyclists? this rule is not complicated nor contradictory at all if you are an avid cyclist and you bike at least 69km a day on city roads.

 

[eatshitndie]

agree. a bike costing at least $6.9k is a joy to ride. can go further, preserve more strength, energy and stamina, and less taxing on joints and muscles in general. when i return home on a $6.9k bike after riding 69km in sg in noon heat and humidity, i feel great and re-energized. when i return home on a cheap $699 bike after riding only 6.9 miles, i feel like i wasted 6.9 weeks of my life.

 

[glockman]

it’s safer for cyclists to “chope” and “chiam” lane space two abreast as it leaves little to no doubt and chance for motorist to try sharing lane with cyclists by going side by side and getting too close for comfort. in a multi-lane roadway motorist can change lane. in single lane roadways bo pian everyone has to share one lane and cyclists have to ride single file. but that’s where accidents mostly happen as oncoming traffic cause motorist to hug or toe the divider line first to avoid head-on crash as priority and relegate cyclists to secondary precaution. if there’s a dedicated bike lane, that issue is minimized but how many towns and cities can afford to dedicate entire lanes for cyclists? this rule is not complicated nor contradictory at all if you are an avid cyclist and you bike at least 69km a day on city roads.

I mentioned the rule is contradictory and ambituous because cyclists are allowed to ride two abreast on two or more lane roads. Yet it also says cyclists are to ride in an orderly manner (showing them in single file).

Yes, since this two abreast rule and the 1.5m buffer between car and bicycle rule came about, cyclists are confident in "taking the lane". Hence they think they own the lane, regardless of prevailing traffic conditions. In this latest Pasir Ris incident, Eric/Rick/Gavin could see the lorry was desperately trying to move ahead and had difficulty filtering to the right lane due to heavy traffic. A better rule would be for cyclists to do single-file on one or two lane roads. Two abreast on three or four lane roads. Two abreast on two lane roads effectively reduces traffic flow by 50%.

 

[Leongsam]

I mentioned the rule is contradictory and ambituous because cyclists are allowed to ride two abreast on two or more lane roads. Yet it also says cyclists are to ride in an orderly manner (showing them in single file).

Yes, since this two abreast rule and the 1.5m buffer between car and bicycle rule came about, cyclists are confident in "taking the lane". Hence they think they own the lane, regardless of prevailing traffic conditions. In this latest Pasir Ris incident, Eric/Rick/Gavin could see the lorry was desperately trying to move ahead and had difficulty filtering to the right lane due to heavy traffic. A better rule would be for cyclists to do single-file on one or two lane roads. Two abreast on three or four lane roads. Two abreast on two lane roads effectively reduces traffic flow by 50%.

I actually question why motorists need to overtake in the first place. My experience in Auckland is that within the city we ALWAYS end up overtaking all the cars that overtook us over and over again. If there was a race with a car to a predetermined destination we would definitely arrive first.

Road bikes are no slouches. We cruise in the mid 40s where the speed limit is 50 so why overtake? It's pointless.

 

[glockman]

I actually question why motorists need to overtake in the first place. My experience in Auckland is that within the city we ALWAYS end up overtaking all the cars that overtook us over and over again. If there was a race with a car to a predetermined destination we would definitely arrive first.

Road bikes are no slouches. We cruise in the mid 40s where the speed limit is 50 so why overtake? It's pointless.

Cars go faster than bicycles. And when the traffic lights are in the car's favour, he's up and away and onto the freeway. The cyclists will then be little specks in the rear-view mirror. I agree that bicycles (and motorcycles) are quicker than cars during heavy traffic conditions, they can weave in and out of traffic and also use the pavement (for bicycles). Hence the success of bike messenger services in cities. But it's usually a lone cyclist, not a peloton hogging the entire lane. Eric/Rick/Gavin and his mate were certainly going slower than vehicular traffic. So out of shape.

 

[Leongsam]

Cars go faster than bicycles. And when the traffic lights are in the car's favour, he's up and away and onto the freeway. The cyclists will then be little specks in the rear-view mirror. I agree that bicycles (and motorcycles) are quicker than cars during heavy traffic conditions, they can weave in and out of traffic and also use the pavement (for bicycles). Hence the success of bike messenger services in cities. But it's usually a lone cyclist, not a peloton hogging the entire lane. Eric/Rick/Gavin and his mate were certainly going slower than vehicular traffic. So out of shape.

From East Auckland to the Airport takes 40 minutes by car and 45 minutes as a peloton. Cars beat us by only 5 minutes. We don't ride on sidewalks and we stop at all traffic lights.

 

[Leongsam]

https://www.cyclinguk.org/article/cycling-guide/top-ten-tips-for-cycling-in-traffic

Top ten tips for cycling in traffic

In today's busy road conditions, what you may have learned years ago in the playground for your Cycling Proficiency badge just doesn't cut it. Update your cycling skills with our top ten tips.

1. Get out of the gutter!
Make sure your road position is not too close to the kerb.
Keeping away from the gutter makes you more visible to drivers and helps you miss slippery drain covers, potholes and debris at the side of the road. Also, if someone does overtake you too closely, you have more space on your left to move into.

You may need to ride further out from the kerb if you don’t want a driver to overtake you because it would be unsafe to do so. Some traffic calming features built out from the kerb, or mid-road refuges for pedestrians, for example, don’t leave enough room for a car to pass a cyclist safely. Moving into the centre of the lane should mean that drivers stay behind you instead of trying to squeeze past. Some people call riding in the middle of the lane (i.e. where motorists normally drive) ‘taking the lane’, or the ‘primary position’.

2. Be aware of what’s around you
Road awareness is an important skill to develop.
This means looking ahead for rough surfaces, drain covers, road humps, vehicles parked in the lane, potholes and puddles (which can hide potholes) etc. Looking all around also helps you prepare for junctions, roundabouts and traffic lights etc., and anticipate potential problems. This helps you avoid having to swerve, brake abruptly or make sudden manoeuvres that other road users don’t anticipate

3. Building up a sense of anticipation
All road users have the capacity to do things you might not expect.
You can’t control what everyone else does, but you can keep an eye out for pedestrians who aren’t looking where they’re going, dogs not on leads, children kicking a football by the side of the road and drivers with a mobile phone to their ear etc. Once you’ve registered something or someone that has the potential to cause a problem, it is wise to stay on the alert so that you can react as necessary.

4. Make your intentions clear
Try to give other road users an indication of what you’re going to do.
Check behind, then signal giving plenty of notice before making your manoeuvre. Manoeuvre only when it is safe. Maintain a position in the lane that stops vehicles undertaking you closely on your left.
If you’re nervous about checking behind and/or taking one hand off the handlebars to signal, it’s a good idea to practise this in a safe, traffic-free environment.

5. The eyes have it
Try to make eye contact with other road users, particularly at junctions, side roads and on roundabouts.
Making eye contact may help you work out if the driver has seen you or not, but it’s wise to avoid making assumptions about how attentive they are. Certainly, if you don’t see any reaction assume they haven’t seen you and be ready to brake or steer as necessary.

6. Be aware when you're on the left-hand side of lorries
Left-turning lorries pose a significant risk to cyclists.
Many lorries have blind-spots on their passenger side, which means that if you are cycling on their left, the driver may not have seen you in their mirrors and make a manoeuvre that puts you at serious risk.

This means that you should take great care when approaching the rear of lorries and, as a general rule, not undertake them. However, the road layout might mean that this is sometimes difficult to avoid. For example, if you are riding in a lane designated for buses, cycles and taxis, and the traffic in the outside lane is stationary or barely moving, you may find yourself passing a lorry on its left-hand side anyway. Similarly, you might find that a lorry starts to overtake you, but in the end pulls up at traffic lights alongside you before completing their overtaking manoevre. If this happens, it can make sense to move past and in front of the lorry at the lights, making sure if possible that the driver has seen you. This can be better than remaining invisible to the driver on the inside of the lorry by the kerb.

When in the proximity of a lorry, or approaching one from the rear, always assess the situation carefully. Remember that it is unwise to assume that a lorry driver has seen you if you have ridden up or find yourself on the left-hand side of the vehicle. Similarly, lorry manoeuvres can be deceptive: just because you haven’t seen anything to suggest that a lorry is about to turn left, it doesn’t mean that it won’t.

7. Don’t be floored by car doors
Give parked cars a wide berth so that you won’t be hit by a negligently opened car door
When approaching a parked car, check behind first to make sure it’s safe, then move out, leaving at least a door’s width when passing just in case someone flings opens a door into your path (an obvious hazard if you’ve just seen the car being parked). While you can’t always see whether there’s anyone seated in a car on the side you’re intending to pass, it’s worth having a look as you approach, if at all possible.

8. Lighten up
Make sure you know the law on lighting up.
Legally, cyclists are required to have working lights on the front and rear of their cycles, switched on between sunset and sunrise; white at the front and red at the rear. It can, however, be sensible to use your lights in daytime if visibility is poor (e.g. fog) too. If you plan to cycle at night, you are well-advised to carry a spare set with you in case your first set fails.

9. Brake sense
If you can’t get your hands to your brake levers quickly, you might not be able to stop in time if you need to.
Make sure you are ready and able to use your brakes, and that you know how to use them safely. It is usually best to use both brakes at the same time and apply pressure evenly. Take extra care if it is wet, icy or there are damp leaves on the ground etc.

10. Cycle training
Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced cyclist, you can benefit from cycle training delivered by a professional instructor. Instructors help you learn more about cycling safely in today’s road conditions, help build your confidence and explain anything that you’re not sure about – getting on an off your bike, changing gears, braking in various conditions – you name it.

 

[Leongsam]

 

[Leongsam]

Ready for a Willunga Hill showdown – 2019 Tour Down Under Preview
Race director Mike Turtur on this year's changes to the race

• Race Home
• Stages
• Race history

Having celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2018, it's going to be a very special 21st birthday for the Santos Tour Down Under as it drops its traditional final-day parade stage in central Adelaide and instead heads to the climb of Willunga Hill, where a summit finish in front of huge crowds will decide the overall winner of the men's event.
Related Articles

• Peter Sagan returns to Australia for 2019 Tour Down Under
• Track event to run in conjunction with 2019 Tour Down Under
• Ewan to lead Lotto-Soudal at Tour Down Under
• Tour Down Under: Richie Porte leads Trek-Segafredo
• 2019 Tour Down Under start list
• How to follow the 2019 Tour Down Under

Willunga Hill has previously featured on the penultimate stage of the WorldTour race, and while new Trek-Segafredo rider Richie Porte has won there on the last five occasions – winning the race overall in 2017 – this year should see an almighty battle as riders with any chance of taking the title going into this sixth and final stage will be gritting their teeth and going all out for the two ascents of the iconic climb south of Adelaide.
Home favourite Porte's back for another crack at a second title, having missed out to last year's winner Daryl Impey (Mitchelton-Scott) on 'countback', with both riders finishing with the same overall time. South African Impey's back, too, as is three-time world champion and arguably cycling's biggest name right now, Peter Sagan, who returns with his Bora-Hansgrohe squad for the third straight year, looking to add to the two wins he took at the Down Under Classic and on the stage to Uraidla last year.

The three-time world champion will be without his rainbow stripes this time around, having ceded his title to Movistar's Alejandro Valverde on a hilly Innsbruck circuit at the Worlds road race in Austria at the end of last season. But remember that Sagan remains the Slovakian national champion, and in reality that predominantly white jersey with traditional black shorts ensures that he will be very nearly as easy to spot towards the front of the race as ever.

Add sprinter Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal) and arguably 2018's best sprinter Elia Viviani (Deceuninck-QuickStep) – who both won stages last year – to the mix, with other big names still to be announced in the coming days, and you have all the makings of a classic edition of the race, which could see an entirely new name crowned on the summit of Willunga Hill on January 20.

"We've been lucky in the past to have a good combination of big-name Australian riders and high-quality internationals – all-rounders and sprinters – so we've always had a good blend of riders participating here, and we try to design the stages to cater for their abilities," race director Mike Turtur tells Cyclingnews. "I think over the years it's worked pretty well, and the race results show that over the years we've created opportunities for a lot of different riders."

Kicking off with a crit
The racing will kick off with the traditional Down Under Classic criterium in Adelaide's East End on Sunday, January 13, this year using the old circuit that this curtain-raiser event used to be raced on following various road-layout changes in the city.

With a start and finish on Bartels Road, and preceded by the final stage of the Women's Tour Down Under, spectators will be packed around the short, fast 1.7km circuit for a race that was won by Peter Sagan in 2018.

"I was absolutely delighted to see Sagan win here in the rainbow jersey last year," Turtur tells Cyclingnews. "That was a fantastic start to the week, and a great opportunity for the crowds to see the riders up close. If it's a nice night – weather-wise – it'll be a great way for the women to conclude their race and for the men to start the week."

A bunch sprint expected in Port Adelaide
Two days after the Down Under Classic, the race proper begins for the men, this year starting in North Adelaide and heading out north-east into the stunning Adelaide Hills, where some well-known roads will welcome the riders before they head back towards the city.

"The interesting thing about the Inglewood, Houghton and Paracombe circuit is that it's on the old course that was used for the state and national road championships in the past," says Turtur. "We'll do three laps of the famous circuit around Paracombe that we'll do three times and then head back on the same roads before going into the heart of Port Adelaide.

"Port Adelaide has had an association with the race since the inaugural event in 1999 when we started there, and we returned there in 2018 for a stage start, where the crowds were massive.

"We'll finish on a very short finishing circuit – 3.4km – which allows us to go over the two bridges, which gives the crowd the chance to see the spectacle of a big group coming in, and then the riders will sprint the second time in. It's going be a very exciting start to the race and a big finish in Port Adelaide," says Turtur, expecting the race to be together by the end of the opening stage.

Barossa-bound on stage 2

"We're going back to a stage finish in Angaston that we have had in the past," Turtur says of stage 2 from Norwood, to the east of Adelaide, up to the famous wine-growing region of the Barossa Valley.

"The most famous finish we had there would probably have been when Simon Gerrans beat Andre Greipel in the sprint in 2014. It's a bit tricky coming into Angaston: it's a little bit uphill, and if you go too early, which I think Andre did that day, it makes it hard, with Gerrans getting him right on the line.

"The riders leave the beautiful Norwood Parade, which always attracts big crowds, up through the gorge road, which is magnificent terrain for cycling, and then on to the famous short and sharp climb of Checker Hill, which is always well patronised by spectators and then on into the heart of the Barossa Valley."

A return to Sagan territory

Stage 3 from Lobethal to Uraidla takes the riders back to the scene of Sagan's stage victory in 2018. However, things will be a little different this time around, as Turtur explains.

"We've created a new 14km circuit for the finish, and I actually rode it as a test ride with [former pros] Stuart O'Grady and Patrick Jonker a couple of weeks ago, and it nearly killed me, as it's harder than I'd even expected," he says.

"It's going to be a really interesting scenario: whether it's a small group or a big group, and whether they hit it hard. There are multiple opportunities for attacks, and it's a terrifically challenging circuit that the riders will do seven times, with six laps to go as they first come through the finish line. I'm keen to see how it all pans out."

Corkscrew back on the menu

Stage 4 from Unley to Campbelltown on Friday, January 18, sees the riders heading south to Meadows and Macclesfield before looping back up through the Adelaide Hills to the finish.

"But the big challenge on this stage is the Corkscrew climb, coming in the last seven kilometres," Turtur warns. "It's a massive climb – very sharp and very steep. We've had winners there in the past that have included Geraint Thomas, Cadel Evans and Simon Gerrans, so it's going to be a decisive day on the race because the climb comes late.

"It's hard, and it will break the field up," says Turtur, "and when you get to the top, there's still a six-kilometre descent to the finish. So it's a stage where you can gain some time, and set yourself up for the overall, or you can lose time, so it's going to be really interesting day with the climb at the end really making things difficult. I think we'll see the potential overall top 10 by the end of the stage."

From the seaside to a country town

At this stage of the race, the Tour Down Under has often headed south to the tourist-favourite town of Victor Harbor. But in an edition where so many things have changed, Victor Harbor is rested for a year, but will still be passed through on Stage 5 from Glenelg to the pretty country town of Strathalbyn, some 60 kilometres south-east of Adelaide.

"We head on our way from beautiful Glenelg – the seaside start to the west of Adelaide, which always attracts huge crowds," says Turtur. "We then expect a sprint finish in Strathalbyn, which hosted a finish at the inaugural race in 1999, and has featured several times since. In the past we've seen wins there from Erik Zabel and Luke Roberts, so expect the fast men to come to the fore."

Final showdown on Willunga Hill

With a summit finish on Willunga Hill deciding the race in 2019 in place of an Adelaide city-centre circuit race, race director Mike Turtur explains the change to this year's Tour Down Under format.

"We know that even if riders are equal on time in the overall classification, or perhaps only a second or two apart, not much is going to change in the GC when you have a circuit race for the final day," he tells Cyclingnews.

Stage 6 starts in McLaren Vale, south of Adelaide, in what is another famous wine-growing area, and follows the same tried and tested 151.5km stage route that has traditionally taken place on the race's penultimate day, which takes the riders twice up the climb of Willunga Hill.

"But in this case, we'll wake up on Sunday morning and still not know who's going to win the race. I think that'll be great for not only the riders – because the feedback we've had from the teams about the change has been very positive – but I think also for the fans and the media, who'll be even more interested than ever because it'll come right down to the wire.

"We've got Richie Porte coming to the race once again, who's won on Willunga Hill the past five times, which is an incredible effort. And the climb – which we see tens of thousands of people get out to – provides the closest thing you'll see this side of the world to what you get at the big races in Europe. So it'll be a fantastic day, and hopefully it'll produce what we're after."

More than just a stage race

Besides the road racing – the men's event and the Women's Tour Down Under – locals will be able to take part in a number of family rides and activities during the 11-day Santos Festival of Cycling in Adelaide – which includes the Challenge Tour mass participation ride on January 19 – while new for 2019 is the Track Down Under event.

Held on Friday, January 11 at the Adelaide SuperDrome, at Gepps Cross, just north of the city, the velodrome, which is home to the Australian Cycling Team, will feature a packed programme of track racing.

"There'll be sprints, Keirins and endurance events, featuring riders such as Commonwealth Games gold medallist Steph Morton and sprint world champion Matt Glaetzer, so we're going to feature the high quality we've got in our track programme," explains Turtur, who won gold for Australia in the team pursuit at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

In memory of Australian sprint coach Gary West, who passed away in 2017 at the age of 57 after having been diagnosed with motor neurone disease, a special prize will be awarded on the night.

"Gary was a teammate of mine, and the winners in the Keirin and sprint series will be awarded with the Gary West Medal, presented to them by Anna Meares," says Turtur. "It's going to be a fun night, featuring the high-quality track athletes we've got here in Australia."

Cyclingnews will, as always, provide full coverage of this year's Tour Down Under, including live coverage of all six stages – all complemented by exclusive news, features, tech and a regular podcast from our team on the ground in Adelaide.

 

[Leongsam]

Notice that all the top riders in the world are Ang Mohs which further proves that Ang Mohs are the best!

 

[Leongsam]

 

[Leongsam]

PHYS ED

Regular Exercise May Keep Your Body 30 Years ‘Younger’

The muscles of older men and women who have exercised for decades are indistinguishable in many ways from those of healthy 25-year-olds.


CreditGetty Images

I

By Gretchen Reynolds

Nov. 21, 2018

The muscles of older men and women who have exercised for decades are indistinguishable in many ways from those of healthy 25-year-olds, according to an uplifting new study of a group of active septuagenarians.

These men and women also had much higher aerobic capacities than most people their age, the study showed, making them biologically about 30 years younger than their chronological ages, the study’s authors concluded.

All of us are aging every second, of course, which leads many of us also to be deeply interested in what we can expect from our bodies and health as those seconds — and subsequent years and decades — mount.

Worryingly, statistics and simple observation suggest that many elderly people experience frailty, illness and dependence.

But science has not established whether and to what extent such physical decline is inevitable with age or if it is at least partially a byproduct of our modern lifestyles and perhaps amenable to change.

There have been hints, though, that physical activity might alter how we age. Recent studies have found that older athletes have healthier muscles, brains, immune systems and hearts than people of the same age who are sedentary.

But many of these studies have concentrated on competitive masters athletes, not people who exercise recreationally, and few have included many women.

So for the new study, which was published in August in the Journal of Applied Physiology, researchers at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., decided to look at a distinctive set of older men and women.

“We were very interested in people who had started exercising during the running and exercise booms of the 1970s,” says Scott Trappe, the director of the Human Performance Laboratory at Ball State and the new study’s senior author.

That era, bookended to some extent by the passage of Title IX in 1972 and the publication of “The Complete Book of Running” in 1977, introduced a generation of young men and women to recreational physical activity, Dr. Trappe says.

“They took up exercise as a hobby,” he says.

Some of them then maintained that hobby throughout the next 50 or so years, running, cycling, swimming or otherwise working out often, even if they rarely or never competed, he says.

Those were the men and women, most now well into their 70s, he and his colleagues sought to study.

Using local advertisements and other recruitment methods, they found 28 of them, including seven women, each of whom had been physically active for the past five decades.

They also recruited a second group of age-matched older people who had not exercised during adulthood and a third group of active young people in their 20s.

They brought everyone into the lab, tested their aerobic capacities and, using tissue samples, measured the number of capillaries and levels of certain enzymes in the muscles. High numbers for each indicate muscular health.

The researchers focused on the cardiovascular system and muscles because they are believed inevitably to decline with age and the scientists had expected they would see what Dr. Trappe describes as a “hierarchical pattern” in differences between the groups.

The young people, they thought, would possess the most robust muscles and aerobic capacities, with the lifelong exercisers being slightly weaker on both counts and the older non-exercisers punier still.

But that outcome is not precisely what they found.

Instead, the muscles of the older exercisers resembled those of the young people, with as many capillaries and enzymes as theirs, and far more than in the muscles of the sedentary elderly.

The active elderly group did have lower aerobic capacities than the young people, but their capacities were about 40 percent higher than those of their inactive peers.

In fact, when the researchers compared the active older people’s aerobic capacities to those of established data about “normal” capacities at different ages, they calculated that the aged, active group had the cardiovascular health of people 30 years younger than themselves.

Together, these findings about muscular and cardiovascular health in active older people suggest that what we now consider to be normal physical deterioration with aging “may not be normal or inevitable,” Dr. Trappe says.

However, this study was cross-sectional, highlighting a single moment in people’s lives, and cannot tell us whether their exercise habits directly caused differences in health or if and how genes, income, diet and similar lifestyle factors contributed.

It also did not look at muscle mass and other important measures of health or whether you can begin exercising late in life and benefit to the same extent.

The researchers plan to explore some of these issues in future studies, Dr. Trappe says.

But already the findings from this experiment suggest that exercise could help us “to build a reserve” of good health now that might enable us to slow or evade physical frailty later, Dr. Trappe says.

“These people were so vigorous,” he says. “I’m in my 50s and they certainly inspire me to stay active.”

A version of this article appears in print on Nov. 27, 2018, on Page D5 of the New York edition with the headline: How to Be 30 Years Younger. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

 

[sweetiepie]

I actually question why motorists need to overtake in the first place. My experience in Auckland is that within the city we ALWAYS end up overtaking all the cars that overtook us over and over again. If there was a race with a car to a predetermined destination we would definitely arrive first.

Road bikes are no slouches. We cruise in the mid 40s where the speed limit is 50 so why overtake? It's pointless.

KNN how does professional cyclist make right turn ? KNN